Wood stake sharpener



W. T. LANE wooD STAKE SHARPENER March 3, i936.

Filed June `11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l f/.l l f Attorney.

` March 3, 1936. W` T. LANE 290325@ WOOD STAKE SHARPENER Filed June l1, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvenlor,

, llorneyl Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention pertains to devices for sharpenlng wood stakes to be driven into the ground, such as are used by surveyors, civil engineers, gardeners, tent makers and other persons and 5 for such purposes where wood stakes are required and used. It also pertains to further improvements to my former application, Serial Number 686,054, filed August 2l, 1933, and allowed February 24, 1934, Letters Patent No. 1,973,987.

The main object of the invention is to provide a means whereby wood stakes can be sharpened more quickly than with my former invention and with the same perfection. A further object is to provide a means whereby the work can be done by either hand power or by any form of motor power, and thus sharpen wood stakes with .greater ease and dispatch.

I attain these and other objects by means of the mechanism illustr-ated in the accompanying ,20 drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a frontend vview of the invention; Fig. .2 is a side View of Fig.` 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the operating mechanism from the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged top AView of the stake sharpening blades; Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a further enlarged section of the vertical guides of the cutting blades; Fig. 7 is a vertical section of vthe cutting blades on the line 1-1 in Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the entire operative mechanism from the lines 8--8 on Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 9is a rear end elevation of the inventionopposite to Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is an enlarged top view of lthe stake clamping mechanism; Fig. 11 is a lengthwise vertical section on the line IL-II of Fig. 10; and Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are enlarged parts o-f details hereinafter described.

Similar parts are indicated by similar cha-racters in each of the several views.

By referring to Athe drawings it will be seen that the operative mechanism is supported and operated lon a wood structure, tho-ugh the structure may be of metal parts, if preferred. The structure Yshown is composed of two horizontal side members I-I with a base operating block 2 between. These are shown supported on floor blocks 3-3 .at each end, though, stout legs of suitable length may be used to support the stake `Sharpener at a proper height required for oper- 1:50 ation. A stout upright member 4 rigidly braced by angle irons 5 supports and yguides the vertical operation of Vthe invention. The-entire structure is approximately thirty inches long, thirty-six inches high .and twelve inches wide as shown, though these dimensions maybe varied to meet special uses. The operating or cutting block 2 is made narrow toward the rear with the upper part shaped to a point corresponding to the point to be cut on the stake and to admit the V-shaped cutting blades hereinafter described. 'Ihis part 5. of the cutting block is capped with a plate of Babbitt metal to protect the wood from being worn in the cutting operation. This plate is identified by the numeral 6.

My former invention was designed to sharpen 1.9` a wood stake by cutting one side of the stake point at a time. This new improvement is designed tol cut two sides of the stake point at one operation.

This is attained by means of a pair of cutting m5 blades 1 adjustably xed in V-shape-d form between two clamping plates 8 8 which are attached to a vertically operating shaft 9. This shaft 9 is attached to land operated by a hand lever arm I Il which is pivotally mounted o-n a 20 swinging fulcrum II supported on a pivot bearing xed to the upright member 4. This allows the shaft 9 to operate in a true vertical motion through its bracket bearings I2. The clamping plates 8 8 attached to the shaft 9 likewise cause 25 the cutting blades 'l to operate in a true vertical movement by means of adjustable vertical guides I3 and III- I4 placed in triangular form, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6.

'I'he stake to be sharpened is placed on the 30 cutting block 2 between two parallel clamping angle irons I5 and with its point endv against a spring actuated vertical stem stop I6. 'I'he clamping irons I5 are pressed against the sides of the stake by two pairs of pivoted cams I1, one pair .35 being on the outer side of each iron. These cams are spring actuated by means of a pair of rocking arms I 9 and 20 centrally mounted on a shaft I8 across the rear of the invention. Referring to Figs. 8 to 11, it will be seen that the arms I 9 Aand A4.o 20 are made at right angles one with the other. The upper horizontal arm I9 extends through vertical slots in an upright xed guide 2| made rectangular in section. A lift hook 22 made to engage the arm I9 operates within this inclosing 45 guide 2|, it being made to operate by the small vertical shaft 23 which is attached to the lever I0 opposite the shaft 9 and is so adjusted as to operate and register in unison therewith. The arm I9 passes through the slots 24 and 25 of 50 the guide 2| and rests on the lower end of the outer slot 25, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9. This holds the arm I9 in a horizontal position with all parts of the machine at rest with the hook 22 under the arm I9 ready to operate. Referring 55 chine. ,placing the stakes to beV sharpened and removing to the enlarged Figs. 10 and 11, it will be seen that the lower arm 20 has attached thereto a small drawrod 26 which passes through a rectangular frame 21. Within this frame the drawrod 26 is encircled with a compression spiral spring 28 and a xed collar 29 which holds the spring in compression against the end of the frame 21 nearest the lever 20. On each outer side of the frame 21 is fixed a push and pull bar 30, each being twisted upward to the under side of the cutting block 2 where they connect with and operate arms 3| which are xed on the upright shafts 32 of the clamping cams I1.

With this description of the operative parts of the invention, we will consider a wood stake, preferably square and less than three inches in size, as placed on the cutting block 2 with its point end against the spring actuated stop I6. As the lever arm I9 is pressed down, the upward motion of shaft 23 acting in unison with the downward motion of shaft 9, will operate the rocking arms I9 and 20 and draw the pullrod 26 against the spring 28Vand thus actuate the bars 30, which will cause the cams to press the clampirons I5 against the stake before the cutting blades 1 contact the same. At this point the compression spring 28 yields to the pull and will impart a tighter clutchv on the stake till the out on the two sidesis completed. At the finish of the cut the arm I9 has been lifted to the position indicated at I9' where the hook 22 has cleared is hold and the arm I9 being released is spring actuated back to its resting place'in the Outer slot 25 as at .the beginning of the cutting operation. This action is attained by the recoil of the tension springs 33 attached to the lever arms 34 fixed on the outer ends of the shaft I8. This recoil action causes the arm 2D to impart a push action on the bars 3D whereby the cams I1 are actuated to withjdraw the clamping irons I5 and release the stake.

The lever arm I0 is now raised to its former position for another downward stroke of the cutiting blades 1. The small shaft 23 has pushed the bevel ended hook 22 down within the guiding inclosure 2I until it again engages the lever arm I9, it being actuated into this engagement by the .spring Yindicated at 2|. It will be seen that the Lshaft 23 is made adjustable by being screw threaded into its lever arm connection as shown in Fig.V 12, in order that it will operate the hook 22 in unison with the movement of the cutting blades.

over on the cutting block and in position for the other two sides to be cut. 'I'he cutting operation vas described is again repeated and the sharpening of the stake is completed. The work of sharp- `ening of one stake after another can be thus continued indefinitely, the work being done perfectly and with speed.

This invention is not designedY to be limited to hand lever operation. By using an operating lever withits longer arm on the rear of the machine, a crank shaft operated by motor power can be attached thereto for operating the ma- A workman can then use all his time in the same when each is sharpened. The work of sharpeningthe stakes can thus be done with less labor and with greater speed.

'I'he stake stop I6 is spring .actuated in order that it will notY interfere with the downward allows it to be pushed down by stud I 6' which The stake is now turned one-fourthV scribed, the combination of a supporting struc- `ture, an operative lever pivotally mounted on said structure, a cutting element vertically drlven'by 'said lever, means cooperating with said driven contacts the stem I6 as the blades descend. On the lifting of the blades,'the stop is at once sprung up to function again as before.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, it will be seen that the clamping plates 8-8 are loosely bolted to opposite sides of a central guiding member 36 made to operate in a vertical slot in the metal guide I3. These plates 8 are made to angle outwardly to form the V-shaped angle desired for the sharpening of the stakes and have their front edges engaged to slide in the vertical guides I4. The top edge of each plate 8 is turned squarely inward in a triangular form 31 to provide a means by which they are attached to the vertical operating shaft 9.

Y Each cutting blade 1 is clamped to its respective plate 8 by sub-plate 38 bolted to the inner side of each plate 8. The rear edge of each cutting blade-is slightly beveled to fit the angled front edge of the guiding member 36 and each front edge is beveled to fit the beveled edge of each subplate 38 as shown at 39. The bevel headed bolt 40 is to be so adjusted that the bevel 39 will tightly clamp the adjoining edge of the cutting blade and securelyy hold the same in place against each clamping plate 8. Set screws 4I in the top angles of the plates 8 are designed to adjust the cutting plates vertically. The set screws 42 atthe rear guide and the set screws 43 and 44 in the front vertical guides are designed to adjust the cutting blades laterally to the sides of theY V-shaped cutting block and the Babbitt metal plate tted thereon. f

With the foregoing specification it is believed the construction and operation of the invention will be understood. It is to be observed that the cams are made segmental in form with segmental slots through which studs extend upwardly 'from the angle irons I5 and serve as a means to withdraw the clamping irons outward and release the stake after the cut is finished. f K g I am aware that prior to my invention, cutting blades xed at an angle, one with the other have been used for mitering joints, cutting mouldings and the like, for right angle connections. IV do not therefore make any claim on cutting blades as a primaryidea, but I do use the blades set in `a V-shaped position at an acute angle with each `other in the combination mechanism for sharpening wood stakes as herein described.

Having described my invention, I claim:- 1. In a stake sharpening device of the class deelement to adjust and hold a wood stake in posi- Ytion on a cutting base of said structure to be sharpened by said element, and said means comclosed in timed relation with the action of the said cutting element.

2. In a stake sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a supporting structure, of an operative lever pivotally mounted thereon, a vertically guided cutting element driven by said lever, cam actuated clamping irons Y cooperating with said element to adjust and hold a wood stake to be sharpened by said cutting g element, an adjustable shaft attached to the rear .end of said operative lever, a hook on the lower end of said shaft, said hook directed and spring actuated within a vertical inclosure to engage a pivoted lever arm extended through said inclosure and a companion arm integral with said pivoted arm and at an angle therewith, and said companion arm having spring and shaft operative push and pull bar connections with the said cam operated clamping irons as described and set forth.

3. In a stake sharpening -device of the class described, the combination of a supporting structure, an operative lever pivotally mounted on said structure, a vertically guided cutting element driven by said lever, clamping irons cooperating with the said cutting element to adjust and hold a Wood stake to be sharpened by said element, cams mounted on shafts to actuate said irons, an adjustable shaft attached to the rear end of said pivotally mounted lever, a hook attached to the lower end of said shaft, means for directing said hook to engage an-d release one member of a pair of right angled integral shaft mounted lever arms, a pull rod and compression spring attached to the other member of said pair of arms, said pull rod and compression spring operatively connected with a pair of pull and push bars, and said bars operatively connected with lever arms on the shafts of the cams by which sai-d clamping irons are actuated.

4. In a stake sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a supporting structure; an operative lever pivotally mounted on said structure; a vertically reciprocating cutting element driven by said lever; cam-operated clamps cooperating with said cutting element t0 adjust and hold a wood stake in position to be sharpened by said cutting element; a pair of integral arms mounted on a pivot shaft; an operative connection between said pivoted lever and one arm of said pair of arms; and tension spring-operated bars connected to the other arm of said pair of arms and operatively connected to the cam-operated clamping irons to release said irons when the downward cut of said reciprocating cutting element is completed.

WILLIAM T. LANE. 

